The State Hornet

Journalism 197a & 197b

General Syllabus | Journalism 197a | Journalism 197b
Staff Handbook | State Hornet Charter

Journalism 197a Syllabus for State Hornet Reporters

This syllabus specifies additional requirements for reporters beyond the General Staff Syllabus for Journalism 197.

Staff Meetings

As in any newspaper, staff meetings are mandatory for all staff. You must also attend meetings called by section editors (news, feature, sports, opinion, design, photography and online. Editors will track of your attendance.

If you cannot make a meeting during the semester, contact your section editor. But never, never, never miss a deadline, even if an emergency has come up or you have missed a meeting.

Ultimately it is your responsibility to keep in touch with your editor – have home phone numbers, cell phones, e-mail addresses and office hours. Ultimately, the time you put into the paper will determine what you will get out of the experience.

If you are serious about a job in the media, use this experience to get as good as you can get.

Grading and Evaluation
The grading and evaluation of reporters will be based upon:

Stories - 70 percent
Deadlines - 10 percent
Meeting attendance - 10 percent (Mandatory General meeting at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and separate section meetings).
Professionalism - 10 percent

Final grades will be based on the above criteria and by the quality of your writing. You will pass the class if you meet the minimum word count of publishable stories. You will receive an A in the class for your stories if they were well-written, well-organized, complete, followed appropriate AP Style, and other considerations of journalistic style.

Job Responsibilities and criteria for evaluation

Stories

• Reporters must write an average of one 500-word story per week, written for a campus audience.

• Each reporter will be assigned a campus beat, but will also receive assignments outside that beat as needed. Reporters will also be evaluated on their news judgment, and must generate at least two story ideas per week.

• Each reporter must accumulate a minimum of 5,000 publishable words (averaging 500 words per week) on deadline assignments throughout the semester. Columnists are excluded from this deadline. Reporters may reduce their word count through recommendation of their editor in order to work on investigative or in-depth stories. Exceptions must be approved by the Faculty Adviser prior to the assignments – not after that fact or at the end of the semester.

• Stories must be publishable quality, as defined by standard journalistic practice, to be counted toward the story and word count.

• Your editors will keep your signed weekly evaluations. You cannot get a final grade without them. If you are not receiving weekly evaluations, let the Editor in Chief or Faculty Adviser know right away! But keep in mind the Faculty Adviser assigns the final grades, not your editor. These are recommendations only.

Beats

Most reporters will have a beat for the duration of the semester. You must keep up with the information in your beats, and you must consistently supply your editor with ideas for stories (whether part of your beat of something you came across during your day as a student. commuter, etc.). The burden is on you to find the news, not your editor. Editors must approve all stories.

Portfolio

All reporters must keep their portfolio updated weekly. It will be checked weekly by your editor and occasionally by the faculty adviser.

As soon as you submit as final draft for editing, make sure you print out a copy of the draft and put it in the portfolio.

As soon as the story has been published, make a photocopy or print a copy off the online and add to the portfolio.

The weekly portfolio will be checked by a section editor or assistant.

You will also sign off on a weekly evaluation of your work. The adviser will often be checking this portfolio as well, so keep it up to date.

The final portfolio is due by noon on Dec. 12, the last day of instruction for the semester. They must be turned into the faculty adviser in the State Hornet offices. Failure to turn in a portfolio will result in an incomplete grade for the semester.

Deadlines

Reporters must submit articles in the required format to their editor on time. If you miss a deadline, the word count will not be added to your total word count for the semester. Stories are assigned with a due date and a time.

Reporters are encouraged to do their work in the Hornet offices where help is usually available as problems arise.

Reporters are also responsible for checking in daily to see if a story has been returned for more work.

Exceptions to any deadline must be approved by your section editor, including all breaking stories.

Editorial standards

All stories must conform to the State Hornet guidelines, as published in the Hornet Handbook. Associated Press style must be followed, unless superseded by the Hornet Stylebook.

Ethics

The State Hornet uses the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual and the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics as standards for editing, writing, publication and professional guideline.

When in doubt –– about anything --–– ask your editor.
Still confused? Ask the faculty adviser or the general manager. But ask!